Understand the service being offered, the organisation responsible and the arrangements that affect planning. This page distinguishes IESG's support work from ICEQC's certification process.
ICEQC states that its certification activities are free of charge. Its published rules also provide for free basic coordination and formal material transmission. Optional in-depth partner assistance must be separately agreed and must not affect review priority or the certification decision.
Before preparation begins, establish the case, the provider's applicable authorisation and the activities included in basic coordination. The institution should know which documents it must prepare, how to confirm material and who is responsible for the next communication.
We explain the basic support activities and responsibilities so your institution can decide whether it needs additional assistance. Those responsibilities remain clear when the institution chooses basic support alone.
Your institution may choose to commission deeper assistance with internal review, evidence organisation, staff preparation or ongoing coordination. The proposal sets out the additional activities and outputs separately from basic support.
Where a fee is proposed, the agreement identifies the service, basis of the charge, currency, applicable taxes and payment terms. A quotation for IESG consulting must describe IESG's work rather than label it an ICEQC certification fee.
Translation, notarisation or other specialist work may be needed depending on the material and applicable rules. The institution should confirm who is commissioning the work, who supplies it and who pays the provider.
The proposal identifies necessary external costs and obtains the institution's agreement before they are incurred. Any provider handling confidential material must be identified through the appropriate service and information-handling arrangement.
An appropriate plan identifies the institution's coordinator, document owners, internal review points and material dependencies. The time needed can change if the scope, quality of the available information or institution's proposed provision changes.
Agree realistic dates for the activities within IESG's control. Where a client input or external response affects the plan, record the issue and discuss the consequence rather than silently changing a date.
ICEQC's standard planning targets are 120 working days, or 180 with one corrective-action round. Counting starts on the working day after ICEQC confirms completeness, a valid applicant agreement and authorised formal transmission. Only overdue applicant-response days are excluded under its controlled clock rule. Further corrective work, scope changes or verification constraints can lead to a recorded revised target. These targets do not guarantee a completion date or a positive decision.
Consult the live official guidance for the rules applicable to the case. IESG's internal preparation schedule should not be substituted for an official case status or acknowledgement.
The optional-service agreement determines how work is changed or ended, how completed activities are accounted for and how any committed external costs are treated. Read the scope and commercial provisions together before accepting them.
A disagreement about optional services should use the appropriate company channel. Certification matters remain subject to the applicable official procedure.
The activity, deliverables, responsibilities, fee basis, relevant dates, external costs and change or termination provisions. Ask for clarification if the proposal leaves you unable to identify what you would receive.
Yes. Select assistance according to the institution's need. The official rules above explain the distinction and its effect on the certification process.
No. Preparation, transmission and official receipt are separate events and should be recorded as such.
Provide your current stage, the work you expect to manage internally and the assistance your team needs. We can then identify an appropriate service discussion.